1 Kings 6:1
“And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord.”
INSIGHT
-The Lord tasked king Solomon to build Him a temple and provided all the measurements. Before the construction of the temple began, Hiram king of Tyre sent envoys to Solomon when he heard he became king after his father David. Solomon revealed that his father had not built the temple due to the prevalence of war, and the Lord had given him peace to commence the construction work. King Hiram provided cedars of Lebanon and juniper logs for this noble task. In the course of the construction that lasted seven years, the Lord revealed the purpose of the temple, that He would live among the Israelites and would not abandon them (1 Kings 6:13). King Solomon also made two pairs of identical cherubim and placed one pair in the inner sanctuary, and the other outside, which symbolize the presence of God. Solomon then brought the ark of the Lord and all the sacred furnishings from the tabernacle to the temple, and dedicated the temple. The Lord then appeared to Solomon as He had done at Gibeon, and promised that He has put His name on the temple forever, and that His eyes and heart will always be there (1 Kings 9:3). He also instructed Solomon to walk uprightly as his father David did, and he would be established forever. In the same manner, the Lord had instructed Moses to built Him a tabernacle according to the pattern He would show him, and a sanctuary that He may dwell among His people (Exodus 25:8-9). God has instructed many men and women to build Him a place of worship continually after this, and we have witnessed His glorious presence. God always reveals a pattern of the structure He intends built and provided resources through kingdom financiers. Therefore, those who have been entrusted with the task of building churches, ministries, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, schools, projects or given visions, that are geared towards bringing God glory; are called to have faith in God, and walk in His purpose, for nothing is impossible with Him. As we come to the end of the year, let us re-evaluate our visions, projects, hearts desires and mandates, as we ask God to guide us in all things.
PRAYER
This is the day that You have made Lord, we rejoice and are glad in it. Your mercies are new every morning, we celebrate Your enduring love. There is no one like You Abba Father we worship You and praise Your holy name. You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, we give You all the honor and adoration. You are our Messiah, thank You for dwelling among us from everlasting to everlasting. Thank You for Your grace and favor upon our lives. Thank You for the work that You have began in us, may You bring it to completion according to Your great love. Nothing is too hard for You dear Jesus, You will do all that You have promised. May Your purposes in our lives come to pass in Your name Jesus. May You make a way even where there seems to be no way. May You give us the wisdom to accomplish our mandates. May You send forth destiny connectors and kingdom financiers to make Your work complete for the glory and honor of Your name. Thank You Jesus for You love us and our nation, we love You Lord. Thank You for Your blessings upon our nation Kenya, we praise You Jesus. We repent all our sins, sins of our family members, fore-fathers, leaders and our nation, may You forgive us dear Jesus we humbly ask You. May You deliver us from all evil, corruption, oppression and neo-colonialisms in our nation. Oh God of all creation, bless this our land and nation. May Justice be our shield and defender. May we dwell in unity, peace and liberty. May plenty be found within our borders. Amen
Further reading: Exodus 29:45-46, John 1:14, Revelation 21:3
Ezra 1:1-2
“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah.”
INSIGHT
-The book of Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles have bits and pieces that describe the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. The temple suffered at the hands of Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylonia, who removed the temple treasures in 604 BCE and 597 BCE and totally destroyed the building in 587/586. Jeremiah prophesied a 70 year Babylonian exile (Jeremiah 25:11-12). This destruction and the deportations of Jews to Babylonia in 586 and 582 were seen as fulfillments of prophecy and, therefore, strengthened Judaic religious beliefs and awakened the hope for the reestablishment of the independent Jewish state. The reconstruction of the temple restored temple worship which was lost during the Babylonian conquest. Sometimes we may experience spiritual slackness where we cease praying, reading the word of God and praising God as we used to at a particular time. God calls us to return to Him first in sincere repentance. Second in fervent prayer, praise and reading His word. Third in taking keep interest in fulfilling God’s mandate in our lives, by His grace.
PRAYER
Our Father and our God, we appreciate You for who You are and what You have done unto us. All the nations Youhave made will come and worship before You Lord; they will bring glory to Your name. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ You are Lord to the glory of God the Father. May You forgive us all our trespasses and grant us the grace to forgive all those who have offended us. We boldly come to Your throne of grace so that we may obtain grace and favor to help us in times of need. Dear Jesus You rebuilt the temple and restored temple worship, may You give us the grace to pray always, to worship You, to read Your word and hearken to Your voice. May Your sufficient grace always be present with us as we journey in our purposes. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now, and forever more. Amen
Further reading: 2 Chronicles 36:22-33, 2 Corinthians 12:9
Nehemiah 2:5
“And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
INSIGHT
-As Ezra rebuilt the temple, Nehemiah reconstructed it’s walls. As the cupbearer of king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah was able to deliver his express interest to the king to secure the temple boundary. Nehemiah did not only have immediate access to the king as the one who tested and served his beverages, but also that Nehemiah was a trusted advisor and high-ranking Persian official. He would use his professional experience and position to great advantage as he embarked upon the work of rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Nehemiah prepared the people and led them in rebuilding the temple walls. He stood strong in faith and encouraged the people to overcome mockery (Neh 2:19), fear and threats of physical attacks (Neh 4:7), extortion and usury (Neh 5:1-19), and conspiracy (Neh 6:1-14), before the wall is completed. Building a wall of faith in our lives protects us from all these vices. In Joshua 6:1-21, we see the Israelites revolving round the wall of Jericho to destroy it and defeat the people. As these walls offered security from external attacks, the Holy Spirit offers us protection day and night from internal and external dangers even when we are not conscious of it.
PRAYER
We love You Oh Lord, our strength and shield, our rock and deliverer, our refuge and fortress, our salvation and stronghold. In You we put our trust. Some trust in horses, others trust in chariots but we put our trust in You our Lord and God. You have delivered us from the snare of the fowler and the perilous pestilence, this entire year, we praise Your holy name. You have covered us with Your feathers, and under Your wings we take refuge, we praise Your holy name. We shall not be afraid of the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day, for Your are always with us. We shall not be moved by the pestilence that walks in darkness or the destruction that lays waste at noonday, for You are our salvation and stronghold, in You we put our trust. We rest secure in You Jesus. Thank You for protecting us even when we are asleep. Thank You for sending Your angels to minister unto us even without our knowledge. Help us to guard our hearts with all diligence that we may not be anxious but look to You alone, the author and finisher of our faith. We thank You and bless Your holy name dear Jesus, now and forever. Amen
Further reading: Psalms 18:1-19, Psalms 91
1 Corinthians 6:15-20
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
INSIGHT
-Paul declares that the believer’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit lives in a believers body, one cannot claim ownership of his or her body. God purchased our entire selves with His precious blood, and our bodies belong to Him. In building up God’s temple then, we are called to flee from sexual immorality which defiles our bodies. Sexual immorality may comprises of, and is not limited to:- adultery, fornication, gaysm, lesbianism, mastubation, pornography, looking at others lustfully etc, that joins one with harlotry. We are called to be stewards of our own bodies, and take good care of ourselves. Further that, the body is not self sustaining but it belongs to the Holy Spirit, and we should not grieve Him, but rely on His salvation. We are living stones that make up the temple. We are reminded to build up spiritual houses, in holy priesthood, and should offer spiritual sacrifices as we flee from sexual immorality, and become acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:4-5).
PRAYER
How great are You Lord our God in all the heavens and the earth. How great are Your purposes in all the earth. How great is Your love for us dear Jesus that You became sin and liberated from the eternal curse of sin, by giving us eternal life. How great is Your love for each one of us, we love You Lord. May You forgive us dear Jesus for the times we have committed sexual immorality. Wash us with Your precious blood Jesus, we humbly beseech You. May You heal us, and all the youth from addictions. We offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to You our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, which is true and proper worship, may You heal our hearts and renew our minds. May You heal all those who are sick and suffering in hospitals and at home dear Jesus. May You deliver us from the wave of COVID-19, we rest secure in You. May You heal our businesses and economy Abba Father. May You heal us from physical, relational, social, economic, financial, emotional and psychological distress, dear Jesus. By Your stripes we are healed. May our purposes bear much fruit in our lives according to Your divine grace. We love You Lord and bless Your holy name, now and forever. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us now, and forever more. Amen
Further reading: Matthew 5:28, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Romans 12:1
John 2:19-21
“Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
INSIGHT
-Jesus sparked a heated debate with the Jews on a matter that touched on their Judaistic religion and way of life . The Jerusalem temple having been constructed in fourty six years, and Jesus indicated that if destroyed, He would rebuild it in three days. Jesus spoke about His death and resurrection, by which He incorporated us into His own body, and build us within Himself; individually (1 Corinthians 12:27). As we await to celebrate Christmas, we are called to invite Jesus into our hearts, that He may build us within Himself through His gift of salvation.
SUMMARY
The Jerusalem temple joined Israel’s major religious object with the monarchy and the city itself into a central symbol of union of the Israelite tribes. As the site for a future temple, David chose Mount Moriah, or the Temple Mount, where it was believed Abraham had built the altar on which to sacrifice his son Isaac. The First Temple was constructed during the reign of David’s son, Solomon, and completed in 957 BCE. Other sanctuaries retained their religious functions, however, until Josiah (reigned c. 640–609 BCE) abolished them and established the Temple of Jerusalem as the only place of sacrifice in the Kingdom of Judah. The First Temple was built as an abode for the Ark and as a place of assembly for the entire people. The building itself, therefore, was not large, but the courtyard was extensive. The Temple building faced eastward and the Lord gave specific instructions of how it would be constructed. Those who worshipped there experienced the presence of God, symbolized by the cherubim that were constructed at the entrance of the sanctuary. God sent king Hiram to supply timber for the construction works and talented individuals including Bezallel. Even though the temple was destroyed by king Nebuchadnezzar, God desires that it would be reconstructed and instructed Nehemiah and Ezra to reconstruct it. It was destroyed once mor, and the Orthodox Judaism’s believe in the rebuilding of a Third Temple and the resumption of korban (sacrifices), although there is disagreement about how rebuilding should take place. Jesus was saddened by Jerusalem for they did not believe in Him but put first religiosity. Jesus rebuild the temple of His body in three days and purchased us at a price. Our bodies are thus His temples and He calls us to honor Him with our bodies, and avoid sexual immorality. God does not live in temples made by human hands (Acts 7:48), and calls us to seek Him always and we will find Him, as the Holy Spirit lives in us.
PRAYER
Abba Father we thank You and worship You. We give You thanks for You have always been with us even when we are disillusioned. You have never left us, and You will never leave us orphaned. We believe in You. You are our King of glory, we adore You and praise You. Only You are worthy, only You are able. Nothing is impossible with You. May You open every door that is shut in our lives and bless us. May You remember all those who do not acknowledge You as Lord and Savior with their hearts, that You may grant them the gift of salvation. We praise You, for You raised the temple of Your body in three days and You live in our hearts. We thank for giving us the hope of glory and the gift of eternal life. We bless Your holy name for loving us and living with us and in us. There is no one like You dear Jesus. May You bless us Lord and keep us. May You make Your face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. May You turn Your countenance upon us and grant us peace. Amen
Further reading: 2 Corinthians 6:16